Last August, the Green Bay Packers acquired defensive superstar Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys for a pair of first round draft choices and Kenny Clark. The trade elevated the Packers Super Bowl prospects while bolstering their defense with one of the best pass rushers in the game.
The Packers were locked in a competitive race to the playoffs in the talented NFC North Division when in a game against the Denver Broncos in December Parsons went down with a torn ACL and meniscus damage. Two weeks later, on December 29, he underwent surgery and hasn’t seen any game action since. He remains weeks away from making his first game appearance this season.
So, how important was Parsons to the Packers?
They lost the game to Denver when he was first injured. Lost the following week to the Chicago Bears in a contest that went a long way in determining the winner of the NFC North Division. The Packers dropped their final two regular season games and were knocked out of the playoffs in their opening postseason game against Chicago.
In other words, in the five games since Parsons was injured, the Packers lost while their depleted defense allowed 144 points. That is nearly 29 points a game surrendered while Parsons is out of action.
The NFL is spreading this week’s preseason schedule over four days. A pair of games on Thursday, three on Friday and one on Sunday after a ten-game schedule on Saturday. One of the Friday games have the Packers in Denver to meet the same team that they were playing when Parsons suffered his severe injury.
Things have gone in opposite directions for these two franchises since they met in Denver last December. The Broncos went on to win their competitive race in the AFC West Division and hosted the AFC Championship Game. A contest they were forced to play without starting quarterback Bo Nix, who was injured in their overtime postseason win over the Buffalo Bills the prior week. Without Nix, and despite a valiant defensive effort, the Broncos lost to the New England Patriots, 10-7.
The Broncos come into the 2026 season fully prepared to clear that last hurdle and represent the AFC in Super Bowl LXI.
Nix is entering his third pro season and has led the Broncos to the playoffs in each of his first two campaigns. If he returns to top form from the injury he suffered last season, the Broncos appear to have a solid chace at ending this season in a hail of confetti at SoFi Stadium.
With Sean Payton at the helm, he looks to become the first NFL head coach to ever lead two different franchises to a Super Bowl win. That’s right, no coach has ever won a Super Bowl with one team and gone on to win another with a different franchise. Payton won Super Bowl XLIV with the New Orleans Saints to complete the 2009 season and has developed a solid team in Denver since becoming their head coach in 2023.
The Packers haven’t won a game since Parsons was injured in Denver last year. The Broncos are at home and looking to win their second straight preseason contest.
I think they will.
Qoxhi Picks: Denver Broncos (-6) over Green Bay Packers